I just moved into a new place and my phone died. It was a talk/text plan on verizon - contract expired - I paid around 23/m.
My budget it super limited right now.
I'm considering buying a used smart phone for around 100-150 to tether my desktop/tablet...I could end up paying like 45-50 for voice/text and internet...right?
The other option would be to get a smart phone on contract for like less money or free but then there's the whole contract thing.
The other other option would be to get another talk/text plan on a simple phone and try to find an ISP that serves at $30/m...hard to find...
My location in Downtown Seattle.
What would you do?
What are speeds like for 3G/4G/tethered devices?
I like to game but it's not a necessity. I could wait until I have enough cashflow to get a dedicated cable connection. Unfortunately, Comcast wants 46/month - that's kind of steep!
i would recommend researching here is an idea of what to look go here http://smartphones.findthebest.com/d/e/Mobile-Hotspot-Tethering and also i think you will need to do a bluetooth tethere
hope this helps
NoOdLePoOdLe
ThunderFucdk said:
i would recommend researching here is an idea of what to look go here http://smartphones.findthebest.com/d/e/Mobile-Hotspot-Tethering and also i think you will need to do a bluetooth tethere
hope this helps
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Yes, that is helpful, thanks.
Question; why do I need bluetooth tether? The idea is to broadcast a wifi signal from the phone that my desktop can receive...or is that not a thing that is possible?
Any comments on the differences between GSM data speeds and "4G" data speeds?
I was looking at the unlimited data plans from StraightTalk for $45/m but it's only available through GSM; Would that limit my speed potential as compared to a "4G" based service?
well here is what i belive the difference's are GSM and CDMA are just different types of cell phone technology used.
Differences:
GSM is used by att and tmobile and what you are thinking of getting straight talk and that means that they use a SIM cars, which is that little chip that gets inserted behind the battery. GSM also is used worldwide so it lets you use the line (Roaming) anywhere you go in the world.
CDMA: does not use a SIM card (chip). this is most widely used by verizon and is not compatible in other countries. But now they have phone like the iphone 4s at verizon that uses both GSM and CDMA so people can use it here and also outside of the country.
as a consumer that is the difference you need to know.
3g and 4g: is simply the name given to the network that a cellphone company has that determines the speed. for example, 4g is just simply faster than 3g because it has a bigger capacity, which makes it faster. The g stands for generation so 3g is third generation and 4g is fourth generation as technology advances and network capacities increase they will advance in the future to the 5fifth generation and so forth.
Wi-Fi
Connecting to your Personal Hotspot via Wi-Fi is the default option provided by Apple, since you have to specifically accept if you also want to enable the Bluetooth connection. A Wi-Fi connection provides:
Pros
High throughput: Throughput via Wi-Fi Personal Hotspot can be of around 30 Mbps between two devices and even more.
Faster: Connecting via Wi-Fi tends to be quite faster than connecting via Bluetooth.
Cons
Might need you to reconnect every time: Wi-Fi tends to be unstable and to turn itself off every time you put your iPhone to sleep. This means that you have to take out your iPhone and re-enable the Personal Hotspot if you want to connect.
Time limit: Perhaps the biggest drawback of using a Wi-Fi Personal Hotspot with your iPhone is that in order to minimize power consumption, your iPhone only gives you a short while (90 seconds reportedly) to connect a device to it after you enable Wi-Fi Personal Hotspot. If you take longer than that, you are forced to enable the option again.
More power consumption: The Wi-Fi Personal Hotspot consumes more power than its Bluetooth counterpart, which is also part of the reason it only gives you a short while to connect a device.
A bit more complex: The iPhone’s Wi-Fi Personal Hotspot requires you to enter a password and to configure your own security options.
Bluetooth
Contrary to the Wi-Fi connection, using your Personal Hotspot via Bluetooth offers some key advantages and one huge drawback:
Pros
No time limit: Once you enable Bluetooth Personal Hotspot, there is no time limit for you to connect your device to your iPhone.
Automatic pairing: Bluetooth remains dormant and ready to connect to your devices the moment you wake them up. Additionally, Bluetooth is more power-efficient than Wi-Fi.
Security handled automatically: The security level of a Bluetooth Personal Hotspot is equivalent to Wi-Fi’s WPA2, and it is all handled transparently from the moment you connect to it.
Cons
Very limited throughput: Without a doubt the biggest drawback of using a Bluetooth Personal Hotspot is its limited throughput, which can be of just 3 Mbps at the most, making it 10 times less than what your Wi-Fi Personal Hotspot can i personly would try all 3 because there is a usb option as well find what is best suited for your service your location ect. then you will have your perfect transfer also i think tmobile would be your best option for were your living ok lets see my lady works for sprint and i tried out there mobile hotspot when 4g first came out and i was able to run black ops on my ps3 and play online but it was pretty laggy but not to bad so basically what i am saying is i think it was just regular 2g or 3g back then and it was able to run my monster ps3 so straight talk gsn are cdma should be fine hope this was helpful
Okay, cool - so I can use GSM and 4G if I have a 4G phone and it's with a carrier that supports 4G in that region...
I assume that most carriers would cover Downtown Seattle (and most other metropolis') with 4G...
I just realized that StraightTalk doesn't allow tethering in their $45/M unlimited plan...I suppose I could always cheat and just try to keep my usage below the radar...what other carrier options are there? - one's that might allow tethering as part of package? Ideally under the $50/M price range.
prepaid is good for minimal data use net10 has a data cap of 1.5 gigs and straight talk claims unlimited but if you go over 2 gigs they shut off ur data...... the best unlimited is sprint by far because there is no data cap
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium
Related
I was curious to know if anyone was using their Thunderbolt for their home ISP. I have been using it today as a trial run since it worked so well for me when I was out of town. If I can save a few hundred dollars a year and get close to the same, if not the same speeds with LTE as my source of home internet access, it doesn't really make much sense to me to keep Comcast around. I am rooted and using Wireless Tether. Mobile Hotspot and its data cap can suck it. I called Comcast and asked how much data I used, the past 3 months were all under 25GB. Thoughts?
All I can say is do it while you can - I know I would be if I lived in an area that had better than 3G coverage.
Desire Cm7
CR-48
I've been thinking about the same exact solution for about a month. Time Warner is charging us $99 for 50/5mbps "wideband" connection, and I'm pretty much getting the same speeds at home on my Bolt. Actually my uploads goes up to 10mbps so it's even better. I think I will probably end up downgrading the cable service to the cheapest $30 a month and see how the Bolt is holding up during the next billing cycle. I've used 53GB on my Bolt during the past month. Speeds still going strong.
nice thoughts, but when there are a few million devices on the network I don't think reliability will be there to be honest. It all depends on what you are doing, and how many computers you have at home.
If you are me and have 10 devices that have internet access at your house, I doubt thunderbolt will be the solution for me. I doubt the hotspot will give me enough range to cover my whole house, if I was alone then it would be a different scenario to be honest and I would probably do it.
I have 2 NAS servers at home that is used for remote access so that right there kills it for me since me and my thunderbolt cant be in two different places at the same time.
even if I was able to get a 4g lte router to plug my thunderbolt in to, they just dont have the horsepower as other routers to provide enough bandwidth for my home network.
nkd said:
nice thoughts, but when there are a few million devices on the network I don't think reliability will be there to be honest. It all depends on what you are doing, and how many computers you have at home.
If you are me and have 10 devices that have internet access at your house, I doubt thunderbolt will be the solution for me. I doubt the hotspot will give me enough range to cover my whole house, if I was alone then it would be a different scenario to be honest and I would probably do it.
I have 2 NAS servers at home that is used for remote access so that right there kills it for me since me and my thunderbolt cant be in two different places at the same time.
even if I was able to get a 4g lte router to plug my thunderbolt in to, they just dont have the horsepower as other routers to provide enough bandwidth for my home network.
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I should have clarified that. I usually only have one thing connected at a time. Mostly my Macbook, sometimes I might connect my PS3 and watch netflix or something. My internet demands aren't really that high.
Been thinking along these same lines. Time Warner Cable - what a rip off. I barely watch TV and have only basic cable. That plus the ISP and speed boost is $100+/mo. What we need is someway to have the Tbolt provide network access to an existing or new type of wireless router. The Bolt would basically replace the cable modem but not the WiFI router (if you have two different boxes). This would make the transition for folks who have multiple computers, NAS, DLNA devices, etc. almost transparent and probably totally workable.
Cradlepoint? If you can plug in a USB cellular modem, perhaps you can connect your phone. I have an MBR-1000 here at work that I may spend some time playing with later if I have some time. . .
Seth
Dont expect to get away with it forever... once the wireless hotspot trial runs out I think Verizon will be cracking down on rooted users using tethering. If you really want to replace your cable line with LTE through the Thunderbolt your going to have to pay the $20 a month and then I believe you only get 2GB
You do realize that using your phone as a hotspot was never intended to replace your home ISP, right?
Why do you think all these companies are now starting to do tiered data?
I have a netgear wnr3500l and flashed dd-wrt to it. It allows you to bridge two wireless connections or have it join another wireless network. That would allow you to use your TB as your ISP on your home network.
I work from home so its not an option for me, and I have nearly 20 devices on my network.
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA Premium App
nkd said:
If you are me and have 10 devices that have internet access at your house, I doubt thunderbolt will be the solution for me. I doubt the hotspot will give me enough range to cover my whole house, if I was alone then it would be a different scenario to be honest and I would probably do it.
I have 2 NAS servers at home that is used for remote access so that right there kills it for me since me and my thunderbolt cant be in two different places at the same time.
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Me, too. The Thunderbolt as an ISP is a decent idea, and very fast when used, but unless you live alone and have no "always on" internet devices (Servers/Netflix Streaming) then everytime you leave with your cell phone, no one at your house has internet (assuming you got rid of your other ISP - of course, if you didn't you would still be paying for two and defeating the purpose)
I guess it depends on the individuals scenario. I have a maximum of 2 devices connected at a time and they are in the same room. I only live with my dog so I don't need a stationary ISP. Obviously it wouldn't really work for a family or a person with a very high demand such as a home office.
meowlamp said:
I guess it depends on the individuals scenario. I have a maximum of 2 devices connected at a time and they are in the same room. I only live with my dog so I don't need a stationary ISP. Obviously it wouldn't really work for a family or a person with a very high demand such as a home office.
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Agreed - If I wouldn't get in trouble from the Mrs. about taking the internet with me, I'd be all over this provided that $20 still gets unlimited tethering and not the 2GB cap some were talking about. Guess it's more of a wait-and-see approach.
Engenius EOR7550 does it
I start out by saying please do not everyone start dumping your fixed ISP bandwidth needs on the TB because it will cause problems from system and bandwidth issues to policy changes with how VZW deals with all of us, resulting in a bad experience with a good system. That said, the EOR7550 is a dual radio commercial grade outdoor repeater. It would be the perfect device for such a test as it is meant to establish a link with one wireless network and repeat it out as another. I use these units quite often to make RV park wi-fi go all over the place.
What is the big deal..
If you can live with the total pain in the ass of always having your phone be your internet then go for it.
I like to have my internet always on and on (to download stuff) when my phone and I are not there.
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App
If you are just going to browse web pages, maybe check email.. then its something to consider.
But 25gig? I'm guessing you download files, stream stuff, etc.
So then you have to think...
Well the mobile hot spot feature on the TB is only FREE until May 15. After that they will likely charge... either $20 for 2gig like 3G MHS is, or possibly more. i.e. more data used = more $$ per month, so that could add up quick.
VZW's TOS for using the "unlimited data" plan with smart phones stipulates that it is not for tethering, and meant to only be used for the phone, and has some other things around "acceptable use". Rooting and doing "un-authorized tethering" and racking up 25 gig per month might draw attention to yourself. So if VZW does start cracking down on this, you'll be right in the cross hairs and violating their TOS.
Then there is the rumor that VZW is throttling data for the higher data users... so where does 25gig come in? will you be able to live with being throttled if it hits you?
Not to mention having to keep your phone plugged in at all times, since battery wont last long using data constantly.
At that point is it still worth it?
I might suggest you'd be better if you think about brokering a deal with your neighbor to share his/her internet via wifi and splitting the cost instead...
KidJoe said:
If you are just going to browse web pages, maybe check email.. then its something to consider.
But 25gig? I'm guessing you download files, stream stuff, etc.
So then you have to think...
Well the mobile hot spot feature on the TB is only FREE until May 15. After that they will likely charge... either $20 for 2gig like 3G MHS is, or possibly more. i.e. more data used = more $$ per month, so that could add up quick.
VZW's TOS for using the "unlimited data" plan with smart phones stipulates that it is not for tethering, and meant to only be used for the phone, and has some other things around "acceptable use". Rooting and doing "un-authorized tethering" and racking up 25 gig per month might draw attention to yourself. So if VZW does start cracking down on this, you'll be right in the cross hairs and violating their TOS.
Then there is the rumor that VZW is throttling data for the higher data users... so where does 25gig come in? will you be able to live with being throttled if it hits you?
Not to mention having to keep your phone plugged in at all times, since battery wont last long using data constantly.
At that point is it still worth it?
I might suggest you'd be better if you think about brokering a deal with your neighbor to share his/her internet via wifi and splitting the cost instead...
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Click to collapse
+1. Just the thought is a recipe for disaster. Tiered data is on it's way and suggestions such as this are a good part of the reason why.
My $0.02
KidJoe said:
If you are just going to browse web pages, maybe check email.. then its something to consider.
But 25gig? I'm guessing you download files, stream stuff, etc.
So then you have to think...
Well the mobile hot spot feature on the TB is only FREE until May 15. After that they will likely charge... either $20 for 2gig like 3G MHS is, or possibly more. i.e. more data used = more $$ per month, so that could add up quick.
VZW's TOS for using the "unlimited data" plan with smart phones stipulates that it is not for tethering, and meant to only be used for the phone, and has some other things around "acceptable use". Rooting and doing "un-authorized tethering" and racking up 25 gig per month might draw attention to yourself. So if VZW does start cracking down on this, you'll be right in the cross hairs and violating their TOS.
Then there is the rumor that VZW is throttling data for the higher data users... so where does 25gig come in? will you be able to live with being throttled if it hits you?
Not to mention having to keep your phone plugged in at all times, since battery wont last long using data constantly.
At that point is it still worth it?
I might suggest you'd be better if you think about brokering a deal with your neighbor to share his/her internet via wifi and splitting the cost instead...
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Click to collapse
+2 keep your isp.
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App
Hello, I'd like any feedback from any folks using the TB as their main or primary internet connection via hotspot and/or usb modem mode.
I'd like to get rid of my dsl connection, and use the TB with the unlimited 4g data.
Concerns I have include latency (for steam/online gaming), streaming stability (netflix etc), upload/download speeds and hitting any soft or hard xfer caps (usenet etc).
Since this would be the main internet connection and I have alot of devices around the house, avoiding/negating simultanious connection caps is also a concern.
Has anyone used the TB in conjunction with a normal home router, like with wrt-54/dd-wrt or a newer device like netgear wndr3700, or any router with usb modem support.
Ideally I'd prefer plug the TB into a router via usb and use it as the main internet, or alternatively have the router connect over wifi to TB, with the router performing NAT and managing ports/upnp/etc for the rest of the network devices.
Do a search for "home isp".
I have never used it as a main connection before but I have used the Wifi on it many times.. Although it is fast, it will not work as fast as a main line, especially when gaming.. Also, the ulimited 4G wireless hotspot will not always be available, unless rooted, I talked with a verizon rep about it yesterday he said although it is free right now, they will take that away later. When connecting multiple devices to the phone the speed will only go down.
Now, depending on your ISP I could be wrong, it may be faster, but if your signal is not stable your internet connection on your PC will not be either.
Just a couple things to consider before you go through with you idea. One thing you might do is try to set it up temporarily and see how it goes, but keep your DSL service up. That way you can get a better idea of what to expect.
Just because you have unlimited data on your phone doesn't mean you will have unlimited on tethering... I believe its $20 for 2GB. And if you think you'll get away with sneaking behind Verizon's back your very mistaken. They can see your doing it and dont expect them to put up with you sucking down their LTE without paying for it for very long.
th0r615 said:
Just because you have unlimited data on your phone doesn't mean you will have unlimited on tethering... I believe its $20 for 2GB. And if you think you'll get away with sneaking behind Verizon's back your very mistaken. They can see your doing it and dont expect them to put up with you sucking down their LTE without paying for it for very long.
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I agree its not going to happen!!!
I currently have AT&T 5GB plan with USB modem on Cradlepoint to LAN at house, and the plan is up.
Other day bro-in-law came over, he gets 13Mbps on his SIII on t-mobile .
I am planning on going with the T-Mobile unlimited $70 monthly if I can get some help on the best way to go.
I have been reading the forums and see that it is possible to get custom ROM and enable tethering.
I don't, however, care about features of the phone itself since it will be sitting in a closet all the time.
Since I am only doing data, what would be the best device to get me at least 6Mbps for Netflix (full 13Mbps or so preferred).
I don't care about things like screen size etc, just ease of installation, stability, and availability of a ROM that will fit my needs.
I need something not super expensive but spending a few hundred is ok.
Thanks!
Tethering on a phone plan costs an extra 20 bucks per month. If you need OTA data only for tethering a couple of pc's, tablets and/or wifi phones, you should go with a hotspot modem - supports up to 5 devices. Speed is dependent on the coverage in your area and your specific location (environmental factors). The modem also gives you flexibility to choose between a monthly subscription for full-time use or a pre-pay option (7- or 30-day expiration) for occasional use.
http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/phones/?shape=mblhsp
http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/plans/mobile-broadband-plans.aspx
For a single laptop or PC a USB stick might be better (but won't work with tablets, only iOS or Windows)
http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/Packages/ValuePackages.aspx?pkgcatid=InternetDevices&line=1
Coverage:
http://www.t-mobile.com/coverage/pcc.aspx/
My opinion would be to buy a grandfathered unlimited data plan for Verizon, choose the $35 voice plan, it'll cost $30 for the data, and if you work at any major corporation can get around 20% off your monthly bill. I did exactly this. I use FoxFi to tether for free. Just have to stay on Gingerbread or root. I get around 20mbs down and average 10mbs everywhere I go. I love it.
Sent from my DROID RAZR MAXX HD using xda app-developers app
I agree with SaurusM3 about getting a USB stick type device instead. My router that is on 24/7 has heat issues sometimes and it has much better cooling than a typical smartphone. If I tried this with my S3 to have it tethering my computer all the time I was using it, I would probably overheat it or just kill the battery (S3 is especially a poor choice since you can't plug it in and run it without the battery - so if it *has* to be a phone, pick carefully) - and even if it could keep it charged, then you run the risk of having the overcharging protection fail and your closet lighting on fire because your device became toast.
I would also not go for a phone because even if you bypassed tethering controls, they might still yank you for excessive use. And there's the possibility that some services just won't work since they'll realise you're tethering.
Can you not get some other kind of Internet service where you live ? Not even some kind of DSL ? If you're getting such great speeds with T-Mobile there it would surprise me that no DSL/et cetera service is covering the area.
Our ISP offers unlimited 15-20Mbps for $30/mo. Why would anyone pay $70/mo for that ? They have a 5-10Mbps for like $25/mo, too. Either way, you could then have a phone plan AND home internet for less than $70/mo.
Phones don't really have the heat management to be on and routing 24/7. It would be best to get one that can have the battery removed and be run off AC power directly and have a cooler - but you're still risking that you'll pay for that and then get cut off by the carrier for excessive / improper use (the contract pretty much states that they can cut you off for whatever they feel like if they think you're abusing the service in any way as dictated by them).
If you really don't have access to a "real" internet service, then consider how 5Gb was working for you - did you always get close / get cut off ?
The key here is 'month to month unlimited for $70' from T-moblie IE 'no contract'. What device will work easily and reliably with a new ROM, works with month to month, will allow tethering, does not cost a fortune.
To answer all very much appreciated, but a little off-topic responses:
I am trying to get a device that will work with the Month to Month plan, ie no commitment, so if it does not work out I am not stuck with any additional fees.
There is no DSL, fiber or cable. I have 1 WISP in my area the is terrible and I won't deal with again.
The 5GB plan is a PITA, I want more data so I can watch the occasional movie or Youtube without worrying about bumping up against the cap.
I am not concerned about it spontaneously combusting in my closet, and will probably just turn it off at night since I do that currently anyway.
As far as over-useage, my understanding is that with a non-commercial ROM, there would be no way for them to track, if I have to I will run it thru a proxy and modify the headers to a mobile browser, if the ROM does not do this already.
I don't see where I can use a non-smart phone device except on the T-mobile 'Mobile Broadband', which is capped and would not do me any good.
Are you saying I can get a Month to Month SIM and use it in a USB modem?
ds
The plan you're looking at is for a phone (only). To add tethering, they offer 500min. talk/no text, & 10GB data w/tethering for $90. The sim is free when you sign up for the plan, but you'll need a T-Mo phone that's capable of the HSPA+/42 UMTS like your bro's SIII.
I'm guessing your live in an area recently upgraded to dual carrier -
From their Internet Services page:
Based on our internal testing and testing commissioned from third-party vendors, T-Mobile expects customers with broadband-capable devices will experience the following speeds on our network:
4G (HSPA+ Dual Carrier/42 UMTS) network: typical download speeds of 4-11 Mbps and upload speeds of 500-1800 Kbps.
4G (HSPA+ 21 UMTS) network: typical download speeds of 2 - 6 Mbps and upload speeds of 500– 1800 Kbps.
3G (HSPA UMTS) network: typical download speeds of 400 – 700 Kbps and upload speeds of 100 - 250 Kbps.
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Click to collapse
And something to look forward to is traffic congestion as more subscribers upgrade, slowing service.
Data sims are used in the internet devices and don't work in phones - probably vice versa as well. But you can buy as many refills as you need each month - so the same 10 GB would cost $100 in refills. Just log in to T-mo to add to your account. For a laptop stick, you'd have to get the T-mobile Jet 3.0 for $175, Also a refurb T-Mobile Sonic Hotspot (not the earlier 4G Hotspot) can be had for $125, and is more versatile. Either is cheaper than any of the newer phones. (Stay away from eBay - they can be reported lost or stolen after you buy them, and subsequently disabled by the carrier - and hacking won't revive them.)
Whatever you do, call them and verify the data speed capability of whatever you decide to buy. (Disclaimer )
So i was in a sprint store yesterday, upgrading my wife's phone to the S5. I was looking at the demo phones on display and i know those are on the new Spark Network.
So i did a speed test on both of the s5s and they were showing between 55 and 60mb down, and about 5-8 mb up
I went to the s3 that was on demo display and did a speed test on that phone, since they aren't on the spark network i would expect it to be lower.
It showed me 3-4 mb down and less than 1mb up
When my wife just bought her GS5, after all the activations and setup, we immediately did a speed test on the phone in the store, and it was abysmal
less than 1mb down, and even less than 1 mb up
So i am wondering, is there a difference in the Store phones Vs what's bought out of the box.
Were there any configuration changes done in the secret menus that aren't widely advertised? or am i missing something?
The phones are usually connected to a in-store wifi network, so the speed of the actual network is inaccurate. The main problem with Sprint's network is that they have the slowest internet speeds, thats the reason why they offer 100% unlimited data. If your not fortunate to live in a LTE market, your probably gonna be relying on open wifi networks to keep yourself sane. If you want fast and reliable, go with Verizon, but your gonna be paying a premium price. But, you might want to think about a prepaid phone, and use blank phone on wifi as a media device if you want to be cheap. The only guarantee you get with Sprint is unlimited everytthing, but speed is never promised.
JollyGrnReefer said:
The phones are usually connected to a in-store wifi network, so the speed of the actual network is inaccurate. The main problem with Sprint's network is that they have the slowest internet speeds, thats the reason why they offer 100% unlimited data. If your not fortunate to live in a LTE market, your probably gonna be relying on open wifi networks to keep yourself sane. If you want fast and reliable, go with Verizon, but your gonna be paying a premium price. But, you might want to think about a prepaid phone, and use blank phone on wifi as a media device if you want to be cheap. The only guarantee you get with Sprint is unlimited everytthing, but speed is never promised.
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Click to collapse
The phone he is displaying is not on WIFI. The Store could have it's own AIRAVE though.
The stores I've visited appear to be on the public cell network.
Hi,
I live on a boat and don't have access to regular fixed wifi... In the UK, I can get an unlimited LTE data deal and use the wifi tether router android app to use all of this as for my home wifi needs, while the phone company just thinks I am using data on my phone (not a hotspot)
However, I've just come to the USA for a three month road trip (new York to cali and back) and trying to organise my wifi (to tether our two phones, sat nav, and any work on the laptop I might need to do), and the networks here are nuts.
First of all, unlimited data is pretty expensive (I pay about $25 in the UK a month, here it is like 70$ for a much ****ter deal)
Secondly, all the big networks are telling my that my Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE variant (that I use as my internet router) is too old. (it's only 2013!!!). In England, all the networks have LTE, 3G and 2G bands that any phone can at least connect to something. Why do the networks obsolete phones here? I'm speculating in Europe we probably have legislation to prevent against this and protect the consumer, but in reality I have no idea.
AT&T said their network could use this phone, but the sim isn't even recognising (it's an unlocked international version, so not really sure what's going on here)... So now I'm stuck with the third ****test network for a month when I could have gotten verison or T-Mobile
So... I'm thinking I need to buy a newer phone to use as an internet router
So... Question is...
Is there any phone modern enough to be used on modern USA networks like Verison or T-Mobile AND has RF antenna ports (like the Samsung galaxy S4) so that I can plug it into an antenna when I get home (I don't want to upgrade my phone just for the trip if I can't then use it with an antenna when I get back home?)|
Any other idea's or solutions to my problem?
Should I just jail break my iPhone S6+ and use mifi instead for this trip?
Thanks in advance,
I would use the Galaxy S4 as a hot spot and keep it permanently connected to the antenna.. allowing you to buy any phone you want, just connect to the hotspot when needed.
Here in AUS you can get a secondary simcard which we call a "data sim".. as the name suggests its a simcard connected to the same account that strictly only has access to usage data on the plan, no calls.. we usally use them in tablets. Might be worth looking into if you want to only have the one active plan.